News sport : Utah State's Chuckie Keeton granted extra year of eligibility by NCAA

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Chuckie Keeton will be Utah State's quarterback in 2015.


Keeton was granted a fifth year of eligibility by the NCAA on Friday after knee injuries derailed his 2013 and 2014 seasons.


He tore his left ACL and MCL against BYU in October of 2013. Keeton missed the rest of the season but was able to return for the 2014 season, which was his senior year. However, he reinjured the knee early in the season against Wake Forest and was not cleared to return. He missed the rest of the season as Utah State cycled through quarterbacks.


Keeton burst onto the scene in 2012 as one of the better quarterbacks in the country. He was a first-team All-WAC selection that season when he threw for 3,373 yards, 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 619 yards and eight touchdowns.


Before his injury in 2013, Keeton had thrown for 18 touchdowns against just two interceptions while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes.


Utah State finished 10-4 in 2014 and beat UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl.


- - - - - - -


Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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Kane fires Spurs to win over Arsenal

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Harry Kane's prolific form continued when he struck two second-half goals to inspire Tottenham Hotspur to a win over Arsenal.


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London - Harry Kane's prolific form continued when he struck two second-half goals to inspire Tottenham Hotspur to a 2-1 win over fierce rivals Arsenal and lift them into the Premier League's top four on Saturday.


The 21-year-old striker cancelled out Mesut Ozil's early goal for Arsenal with a calm finish at the far post and his majestic header four minutes from time sent the White Hart Lane crowd into raptures.


Ozil had opened the scoring against the run of play when he volleyed in Oliver Giroud's miscued shot from close range after 11 minutes.


The visitors then stood firm in the face of continuous Tottenham attacks but Kane broke their resistance with his 21st goal in all competitions this season 11 minutes into the second half after Arsenal had failed to clear a corner.


The dominant hosts poured forward in search of a winner and Kane duly obliged, the striker planting a brilliant header beyond the desperate dive of David Ospina to secure a famous victory for Spurs.


Tottenham climbed above Arsenal and Southampton into fourth place in the table, a Champions League qualification spot.


England manager Roy Hodgson was at White Hart Lane and will have been given plenty to ponder by the uncapped Kane whose second-half performance proved the difference.


Arsenal took the lead when Germany's Ozil, who looked to be fractionally offside, neatly volleyed from close range to score his third goal in as many games.


The tension between the sides was palpable at the halftime whistle as a confrontation between Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck and Spurs fullback Danny Rose flared up.


Wales rugby union captain Sam Warburton, a Spurs fan, was presented with a number 50 shirt at the interval to mark his appearances landmark in his side's 21-16 home defeat by England in the Six Nations opener on Friday.


His presence on the pitch was not out of place at a derby that often matched the intensity of the battle at the Millennium Stadium.


Kane levelled when Ospina failed to deal with a corner, tipping the ball into the path of the lively striker who gleefully slotted it low into the net.


The in-form forward was not finished yet, however, rising highest to head his 12th league goal of the campaign.


Reuters






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Blatter slams media after Afcon violence

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Fifa President Sepp Blatter accused western media of dramatising the crowd violence during the Afcon semi-final match.


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Malabo - Fifa President Sepp Blatter and CAF chief Issa Hayatou accused western media on Saturday of dramatising the crowd violence which marred the African Nations Cup semi-final between Ghana and Equatorial Guinea.


Projectiles were hurled at players and supporters, a police helicopter was called to disperse fans in the stadium and conflict continued outside the ground after the match which was delayed for over half an hour before Ghana won it 3-0.


“Good news is no news, bad news is news,” Blatter told reporters on Saturday at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Fifa and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).


“We only talk about the bad. Football - which is such a good thing - let it live, leave it in peace, it's well organised, let them do it.


“I don't see the negative side of African football that the media presents,” Blatter added. “It's normal, we criticise what's good, never what's bad. The unhappy role of the media is to assume and to forecast.


“In the past, the government made a decision and the media passed it on. Today, we make decisions and the media have already presented it. We become slaves to the media who have already given an opinion.


“The media can play a role, must play a role, but they must play a role where the notions of respect and fair play are the basics. Today, the world opens the newspapers, watches television, and sees only murders and killing. We never talk about princesses marrying any more.”


CAF President Hayatou also accused the press of exaggerating events


“The press always dramatise, particularly the western press,” he said.


“When something bad happens in Europe, they say it's an error. When something happens in Africa, they begin talking about corruption.


“What happened in that match between Serbia and Italy?”, he said in reference to the Euro 2012 qualifier abandoned due to hooliganism.


“It's the same as what happened here, but when it's Africa it's different.


“It's irrelevant that it's a semi-final. It's a football match. The western media are simply here to perpetuate colonisation.”


Equatorial Guinea will end their Nations Cup campaign in Malabo later on Saturday in the third-place playoff against Democratic Republic of Congo. Ghana and Ivory Coast contest the final in Bata on Sunday.


Reuters






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‘City have nothing to fear against Barca’

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Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero said Barcelona are not the formidable force of recent seasons.


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Barcelona - Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero said Barcelona are not the formidable force of recent seasons and the English Premier League side will face them without fear in their Champions League last 16 clash.


The Argentine says that the reported problems at the Catalan club after the Christmas break, including an alleged bust-up between coach Luis Enrique and Lionel Messi, has given the City players confidence.


“I think we have (lost any fear), especially as a result of what happened at Barcelona this winter that everyone is talking about in Spain,” Caballero told Spanish newspaper Marca.


“They are not as strong a side as in recent years. That is going to help us and make us feel stronger.”


Barca sports director Andoni Zubizarreta was sacked last month and president Josep Maria Bartomeu decided to bring forward elections to the end of this season.


“These club problems can also help us although you win games on the pitch and we need to concern ourselves about that,” said Caballero, who joined City from Malaga ahead of this campaign and has generally been an understudy to Joe Hart.


City were knocked out of the Champions League by Barca last season but Caballero feels that the Premier League side is more experienced now ahead of the first leg in Manchester later this month.


“I think City learnt from that game and are now better prepared,” he said.


“We cannot make the same kinds of mistakes because a club like Barcelona will punish you. We need to be at 100 percent for the two matches.


“Last season we ended up as (Premiership) champions and without doubt the blow of being knocked out by Barca motivated us to finish the season in the best possible way.


“We are now playing well, high up in the Premier League and improving all the time. In the Champions League it was an important bonus for us to qualify for the next round when we looked as though we were out with two or three games to go.”


Reuters






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Saints need Champions League - Koeman

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Southampton boss Ronald Koeman fears the team could lose high-profile players if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.


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London - Southampton manager Ronald Koeman fears that the Premier League club could face another exodus of high-profile players at the end of the season if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.


The south-coast side lost the core of their team when Liverpool cherry-picked England players Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert along with defender Dejan Lovren in the close season, while teenage left back Luke Shaw joined Manchester United.


Koeman, who took over from Mauricio Pochettino after he left for Tottenham Hotspur, has defied early-season predictions that the club would struggle after their departures, leading Southampton to fourth in the league with a third of the season remaining.


The Dutch boss warded off interest for full back Nathaniel Clyne and midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin in the January transfer window, and says his side must remain in one of the four Champions League qualification spots if they are to keep their best players for next season.


“Maybe it will be a question for these players that they like to play European football and the Champions League,” Koeman said ahead of the trip to second-from-bottom Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.


“If there is any interest in these players, it will be easier for us if we play European Cup football to keep them. That's always an important reason for a player to stay.


“I know the situation. We are Southampton and if we are doing well there is always interest in players, and it's up to the success of the club.


“I like this, rather than to be on the bottom and there is no interest in the players,” he added.


Southampton are level on 42 points with fifth-placed Arsenal, two ahead of Tottenham Hotspur and four in front of in-form Liverpool.


Koeman thinks Southampton's lack of European or FA Cup commitments, after a fourth round home defeat to Crystal Palace two weeks ago, and a lack of pressure from the club's hierarchy gives his side the edge in the race for a top four spot.


“That's an advantage for us,” he said. “We know for Tottenham and Liverpool it is normal they will fight for the places up in the table.


“They need European football. We like to have it, but the chairman does not say to me, 'If we don't reach European football, you did a bad job.'“


Reuters






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Dolly to finish time at Ajax on a high

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Keagan Dolly has some unfinished work and he is determined to achieve a sense of accomplishment before he leaves Ajax.


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Cape Town - Keagan Dolly has some unfinished work - and he is determined to achieve a sense of accomplishment before he leaves Ajax Cape Town at the end of this season.


The talented 21-year-old midfielder has already been bought by big-spending Mamelodi Sundowns, though he will be allowed to end the current campaign with Ajax on loan. There were suggestions of him moving to his new owners during last month’s transfer window, but that has been shelved. Dolly will finish the season with the Capetonians and then, next season, embark on what he sees as the biggest challenge of his career.


“I was glad that I was allowed to stay until the end of the season,” said Dolly. “I feel that I owe Ajax a lot. They gave me my start in professional football, a platform for me to play my football. I need to make a contribution to thank them for what they have done. Before I leave, I want to make sure that I have given the club my best.”


In saying that, though, Dolly is equally excited about next season, when he gets to join Sundowns, one of the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) “big” clubs.


“It’ll be a real challenge for me,” he said. “But I think that in order to grow as a player I need to test myself. And, with Sundowns having so many big-name players, it’s the perfect opportunity for me to gauge where I am in my development as a footballer.”


Dolly is originally from Westbury in Joburg, the same township that Everton superstar Steven Pienaar hails from. The two charted almost identical junior career paths, playing for local community club Westbury Arsenal and then moving on to join the School of Excellence, a successful football establishment that has produced quite a few top players.


While Pienaar was spotted by Ajax and lured to the Mother City, before going on to achieve a stellar career in Europe, Dolly was poached by Sundowns. He was in the Pretoria team’s youth academy, until he, too, was later spotted by Ajax, and persuaded to come down to the Cape.


Dolly would make a sensational first-team appearance for Ajax, with a starring role in a friendly against English giants Manchester United at the Cape Town Stadium two years ago. He would go on to make an impact in the PSL, culminating in Sundowns being so impressed they eventually had to re-purchase a footballer who had been in their development system.


Earlier this season, Dolly’s eye-catching performances earned him a call-up to Shakes Mashaba’s Bafana Bafana squad. But, in football, tragedy is always never far away - it’s the nature of contact sport.


The creative star broke a toe in a freak training ground incident, resulting in him missing out on the final two months of Ajax’s campaign last year, as well as a place in Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations squad.


“After I got injured at training, initially it didn’t look all that serious,” said Dolly. “But it got progressively worse and the doctor eventually said that the best solution was an operation. It was frustrating. I had the operation and was then out for quite a while, missing about eight games.


“As a footballer, it’s always tough on the sidelines. The previous season I had played almost every game, and now I was out, watching the team play without me. They did well, but fell away toward end of last year, when injuries started to take its toll on the squad.


“But I’m back now and I’m excited to get going. I know it’s my last few months here and I want to contribute to the team finishing as high possible.”


After a period of recuperation, Dolly got back into the swing of things last month when Ajax had friendlies against overseas opposition - German side Wolfsburg and Dutch team PEC Zwolle.


In addition, the Cape side had friendlies against all the Cape First Division teams, which allowed Dolly the opportunity to test the healing of the toe, and get some much-needed time in the middle.


The second half of the PSL gets under way on Wednesday, with Ajax home to Polokwane City at the Cape Town Stadium.


For the rest of the season, and the next one when he joins Sundowns, Dolly’s aim is focused on the national team.


“I have to get back into the Bafana set-up,” he said. “Like Rivaldo (Coetzee, his Ajax teammate), I want to be a regular in the squad.


And, for that, I need to keep playing well, and make sure that I am consistent in my performances.”


Weekend Argus






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News sport : Woods' ex-coach Haney: Tiger's not concerned with major record

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The natural response, even if an overreaction, to Tiger Woods withdrawing from the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday is to wonder about Woods' competitive future.


Add to the muscle flare up and back pain at Torrey Pines that he shot a career-worst 82 the week prior, there's plenty reason to doubt Woods' future ability to contend at any tournament, much less major championships.


What if Woods never wins another major? What if he never wins another PGA Tour event? He'd fall short of both Jack Nicklaus' 18-major mark and Sam Snead's 82 official PGA Tour wins. According to Woods' former coach Hank Haney, the 14-time major champion would be content with what he accomplished if he never pads his eye-popping resume.


On his SiriusXM radio show on Friday, Haney recalled a story from 2007 in which he was prodding Woods for his poor "work ethic."


"He said, 'If my career ended today, I'd be happy with what I've done,'" Haney said. "And I'm just telling you, that's what he told me. So I think he is fine with where he is. If his career ended today, I think he'd feel great about what he has done."


In his tell-all book, "The Big Miss", detailing his time with Woods, Haney recalls Woods' obsession with the Navy SEALs around this time. Haney believed Woods was seriously considering giving up the game to enter the military, like his father Earl.


Haney, who coached Woods from 2004 through May 2010, said he never believed Woods was driven to achieve by Nicklaus' major tally.


"This thing that the media has drum up that Tiger's No. 1 goal, the No. 1 driving factor in all of Tiger's life is to beat Jack's record," Haney said. "I'm just going to tell you that I was with him for six years, 110 days per year and I never got that feeling."


Haney further added that Woods probably would have won 19 majors had he never stopped working with Butch Harmon, as he did in 2003.


"He has been his own worst enemy if you look at all these swing changes he's gone through," Haney said. "If he never changed his swing from Butch Harmon, he probably would have already broke Jack Nicklaus' record. But he did change his swing, and even though he won a higher percentage of tournaments during the time I helped him, it still cost him time because he had to re-group a little bit. It took him a year to start winning again, so this is just time that he keeps wasting."


Now that Woods has played six full competitive rounds with the swing he is developing with consultant Chris Como, Haney, who labeled the partnership an "epic failure," sees a clear laundry list of priorities that Woods must address quickly.


"He's got to get this swing organized so it doesn't hurt his back," Haney said. "Then he's got to deal with the driver issue, then he's got to deal with the short-game issue. Lots of issues to deal with, not much time. Clock's ticking fast now."



Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.







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DRC, Equatorial Guinea clash will go ahead

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Democratic Republic of Congo are shocked their Afcon third-place playoff with Equatorial Guinea is going ahead.


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Malabo - Democratic Republic of Congo are shocked Saturday's African Nations Cup third-place playoff with Equatorial Guinea is going ahead after the hosts' violence-hit semi-final, defender Gabriel Zakuani said on Friday.


Equatorial Guinea lost 3-0 to Ghana in a match in Malabo that was overshadowed by violence with missiles hurled onto the pitch and a police helicopter brought in to disperse fans.


“I'm shocked,” Zakuani said. “I didn't know what was happening fully. Only later when I saw what kind of objects were being thrown and the reported injuries I realised.


“I'm very surprised that the (third-place) game is going ahead, to be honest. The show's got to go on, but I'm surprised at the stance.


“I'm not alone in that view, quite a few of us were doubting the game would go ahead yesterday because of the trouble.


Responding to the violent events, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Equatorial Guinea but will allow home supporters into the stadium for the playoff game.


“Player and fan safety is the main thing,” added Zakuani. “If they can guarantee that, then the game can go ahead, but I'm not sure how they can in such a short space of time.”


He revealed that Ghana's players had shared their experiences with him ahead of Saturday's match.


“Yannick Bolasie's team mate Kwesi Appiah was involved,” said Zakuani. “I spoke to him today and he was quite intimidated by the whole thing.


“It's a position you don't expect to find yourself in when you're just doing your work, working for your nation.”


However, Zakuani praised the home nation's overall organisation of the tournament and said the chaotic scenes in the semi-final were nothing new.


“The tournament had been a success up until then. These things are part of the African game,” he said.


“I've seen it before. I've seen things being thrown onto the pitch in Congo. I've seen helicopters in Libya. It didn't surprise me.


“However, for that to be live, with such a big audience, in a semi-final, that was a shame. It's not the image we want people to see of African football.


“It's improving so much, with players like (Manchester City's) Yaya Toure giving the game a good name. Things like that are a kick in the teeth.


“But I must admit, I wasn't overly shocked by what I saw.”


Reuters






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Van Gaal fights FA over refs

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Louis van Gaal will contest the disrepute charge for criticising a referee after United’s FA Cup draw at Cambridge.


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London - Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will contest the disrepute charge for criticising referee Chris Foy after his team’s FA Cup draw at Cambridge two weeks ago.


Van Gaal said it was ‘always the same’ with referees when bigger teams play against smaller clubs, leading the FA to charge him with implying bias on Foy’s part.


Now it has emerged the United manager will request a personal hearing with the governing body at which he will explain he was just trying to make a general point.


United take on West Ham away tomorrow and Van Gaal said yesterday: ‘I am not angry, I am very disappointed. I am now for nearly 30 years a trainer-coach or manager and I have never been charged. And still, up to now, I don’t think that I said something wrong.


“I said already in our press conference (before the game) the same phrases, because I know in advance everything is in favour of the underdog.


“I said it before the game and I said it after the game, only in the meaning of the general feeling of everybody, everybody for the underdog.


“So I cannot imagine the FA has charged me. But, OK, it’s like that. Of course I will contest it. I never said anything wrong. You can confirm, as the media, that I never say anything about the referee, in all the matches.”


Van Gaal refused to buy in to former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s theory that the FA used to pick on the club simply because of its standing in the game. But it is clear he is irritated.


United are, at least, in the next round of the FA Cup, having beaten Cambridge 3-0 in the replay at Old Trafford on Tuesday. That game featured an impressive cameo appearance from Spaniard Ander Herrera who has hardly played this season despite being bought for £29million in the summer.


Van Gaal said: “He’s a great guy, he’s a great professional also, so that’s not the problem. His problem is he has to compete with high-level players. Wayne Rooney is the captain so he has a privilege (of always playing) - I have explained that - so then the other places... in this system, for example, that we are playing now, the No 10... that’s Juan Mata, that’s Angel di Maria.


“That’s difficult to compete with, but he did already know that at the moment he signed. When you sign for a top club, he knows that he has to fight. But he is fighting.”


Di Maria, meanwhile, has continued to make himself available for selection despite the fact he and his family are living in a hotel following an attempted burglary at their home last weekend.


“He is worried about his wife and child, but I have spoken with him and he wanted to play against Cambridge United and I played him,” explained Van Gaal, who laid a wreath at Old Trafford yesterday as an act of remembrance for those who died in the Munich Air Disaster on February 6, 1958.


“I have decided in the past that I will never play a player in those circumstances, because of the total human-being principle. But with him, I had the feeling that I had to give him a chance to play. He played well. And of course, I have to decide again when we face West Ham.”


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Grumpy Mourinho breaks his silence

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has broken his in a news conference in which he made regular digs at England's FA.


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London - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has broken his 10-day silence in a tetchy news conference in which he made regular digs at England's Football Association for its treatment of him.


Mourinho hasn't spoken in public since last week, when he was fined 25,000 pounds ($38,000) for claiming there has been a media-driven campaign against his team and when his star striker, Diego Costa, was handed a three-match ban for stamping on an opponent.


An unhappy-looking Mourinho chose not to discuss the Costa incident Friday, saying jokingly “maybe I'm punished to reflect. Maybe they (the FA) can read my reflection and (that) I don't want.”


Mourinho said new signing Juan Cuadrado was available for Saturday's match at Aston Villa “unless the Premier League or the FA say there are some rules to stop him.”


In another gripe at the FA, Mourinho referred to an incident this season when he was pushed by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in the technical area during a game.


“You know, the only surprise I had in relation to that was to be punished when I was pushed by another manager,” Mourinho said.


“Apart from that I can expect everything.”


Mourinho labelled himself the “Happy One” when he made his return to Chelsea in the summer of 2013 for a second spell as manager. But his outlook has changed somewhat in recent months, despite his team having led the Premier League from the start of the season.


He has constructed a siege mentality around his squad, perceiving that it is being targeted by referees, authorities and the media.


Mourinho said he was only attending the pre-match news conference to avoid getting another fine.


“You know why I'm here,” the Portuguese coach said, “so you cannot expect that I'm super happy to be here.”


On his recent silence, he added: “If you want, you can make a silence very noisy. Depends what you want to do. You could make noise with my silence, because you know the reason for my silence.”


Chelsea holds a five-point lead heading to Villa Park, where central midfielder Cesc Fabregas is fit to play after a hamstring injury. Costa misses out as he serves the second game of his ban.


Mourinho is looking for a first win at Villa Park - one of only two Premier League grounds, along with Newcastle's St James' Park, where he is yet to triumph.


Asked the reason for the winless record, his answer summed up his current mood.


“Because,” he replied, “the opponents score more goals than us and sometimes the same number of goals as us.”


Sapa-AP






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News sport : GSP hopes Silva and Diaz drug test failures prompt 'more stringent' drug testing by UFC

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If you were wondering about Georges St-Pierre’s thoughts on Anderson Silva's and Nick Diaz’s positive UFC 83 drug tests, you can stop.


As usual, St-Pierre took the high road when asked by Le Press de Montreal’s Kevin Dubé for his opinion of the situation.


“Like everyone else, I was surprised when I heard the news,” he said sarcastically, according to the interviewer.


St-Pierre went on to say it wasn’t his place to judge Silva, who tested positive for two steroids ahead of the bout, or Diaz, who tested positive for marijuana metabolites in his post-fight drug screening.


“I don’t wish them any ill will; it's terrible what happened to Anderson Silva – to his career, and also to him physically,” St-Pierre sympathized. “It’s not my intention to bash anyone, either.


St-Pierre has stated on more than one occasion that unless the UFC institutes a year-round WADA-sanctioned random drug-testing program he will not return to MMA. Although he is a vocal opponent of performance-enhancing drugs, the French-Canadian fighter said he won’t be a steroid whistle-blower. He says he will, however, continue to rally for a cleaner sport.


"I'm not a rat and I'll never go public and name names to reporters. My only hope is that we deal with this [PED] problem," St-Pierre said flatly. “I hope if one thing comes out of this, it's that testing will be done more stringently.”


“I really don't know [if this will prompt the UFC to increase out-of-competition drug testing]," St-Pierre said incredulously. "Maybe nothing will change. It depends on a lot of people."


One thing "Rush" does know is that, contrary to rumors stating otherwise, he still hasn’t made any plans to return to the cage in 2015.


"I think some journalists should re-check the credibility of their sources."






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News sport : Anthony Davis buries the Thunder with a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer (Video)

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If Atlanta’s win over Golden State has us all already looking forward to what could be a brilliant and unexpected 2015 NBA Finals, the home-and-home two-game series that the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder gave us this week should have us petitioning the NBA to force these two teams to play a seven-game series to play in for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference this spring.


The Pelicans entered Friday night just a game in back of the Phoenix Suns for the final spot out West, with the Thunder just a game in back of New Orleans in the same race, beaming from a road win over Pelicans while working without Kevin Durant on Wednesday evening. Russell Westbrook managed a career-high 45 points in that impressive road victory, and with Durant returning from a toe injury and the scene shifting to Oklahoma City for Friday night, one would think that the Thunder would have this contest well in hand.


After all, Russell Westbrook scored 48 points in this one, topping that career-high from Wednesday. Look at this:



Didn’t matter. Watch:



Yes, that’s New Orleans forward Anthony Davis nailing a three-pointer – his first three-pointer of the season, mind you – to shock the Thunder on their home floor. Oklahoma City had done well to come back to tie the game behind Durant’s late three-pointers (he finished with 27 points) and Westbrook’s clutch three free throws with 1.8 seconds remaining, but you can’t stop the MVP.


Yes, the MVP.


Anthony Davis is the NBA’s Most Valuable Player thus far. He might be working on a team that is currently out of the playoffs, but he’s also averaging ridiculous numbers for a Pelicans team that is sifting its way through the tough Western Conference on most nights, helping to lead NOLA despite a series of injury woes this season. The Pelicans are currently on pace for 45 wins.


Davis managed 41 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in the win. Though this was just his first three-pointer of the season in nine attempts, and though he entered the night having missed 21 of 23 career looks from long-range, this shot can’t be considered much of a fluke. It might be a sign of things to come.


Anthony Davis, in his third season, has developed into a brilliant jump shooter – as this feature from Grantland’s Kirk Goldsberry details. This isn’t a case of some youngster becoming more confident in taking what the defense gives him; rather, Davis’s touch from the perimeter is a go-to staple of his rarely nationally-televised game. He’s not quite at Dirk Nowitzki-levels just yet, but he’s bettering studs like LaMarcus Aldridge percentage-wise, and the guy is just 21.


Double-clutching three-pointers at the buzzer, with the similarly sized Kevin Durant helping to change his shot, won’t become the norm as Davis’ career moves along. That doesn’t mean Anthony Davis doesn’t have the skills, fundamentals, and athletic gifts needed to do what you saw above on some nights.


He’s not a prospect anymore. In a season featuring an injured Kevin Durant and a sometimes-there LeBron James, Anthony Davis has moved to the front of the pack in the MVP race.


For those that have been paying attention, he was there well before nailing this winner on Friday night.


- - - - - - -


Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : In a possible NBA Finals preview, Atlanta downs Golden State at home

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If it felt like the first game of an NBA Finals, it’s because statistically this is about as obvious as NBA Finals previews pitched in the regular season tend to come. No two NBA teams in league history have met this late in the regular season with single-digit loss totals to their credit, as the West-leading Golden State Warriors and East-dominating Atlanta Hawks put on a Friday night show that deserved exposure that went far beyond the local viewers that were tuning in, and the League Pass-flaunting NBA obsessives that stayed home to tune in on what could have been a night out.


Atlanta downed Golden State by a 124-116 score that perfectly summed up the back and forth. The Warriors, working on the road, were game in their competitive spirit but unable to close the gap, while the Hawks paired precision and timely defense (despite those 116 points from GSW) on their way to an impressive win. The fact that both teams emerged from this contest still boasting single-digit losses on the season, in the first week of February no less, tells you all you need to know about the potency of these two squads.


Atlanta took advantage of a rather whistle-free first half to their benefit to keep up with a footloose but at times feckless Warriors group before halftime. The Hawks shot just 35 percent in the first quarter, but hung around by playing stellar defense on all manner of penetrating Warriors – Golden State was clearly not happy with the series of non-calls as their scorers worked their way to the hoop, but the refereeing crew was at least consistent in its approach. As a result, the Warriors didn’t shoot their first free throw until Klay Thompson was fouled on a drive with one-tenth of a second left to go in the first half.


It was a 23-10 run spread out over the final minutes of that first half and the first chunks of the second that allowed the Hawks to work their way to a 70-60 lead, a lead sprung with the starters doing battle in the third quarter. The Hawks’ bench depth, long-questioned and seemingly on edge with swingman Thabo Sefolosha out for a spell, then rose to the occasion to put Golden State away.


Brimming with confidence, working mostly off of broken plays or improvisational forays once Golden State’s league-leading defense helped chase the ball away from Atlanta’s typical scorers, unheralded Hawks reserves managed to score both inside and out with alacrity and gusto. Kent Bazemore, a former Warrior, initially led the charge and finished with 11 points on 3-3 three-point shooting. In the second half, reserve forward Mike Scott also nailed all three of his attempts from long range alongside a pair of other slithery makes and a 4-4 mark from the line to finish his night with 17 points. Second-year guard Dennis Schroeder, after struggling to run the show in the first half, turned things around as ATL went with a small lineup in the second half – ending the contest with nine points and seven assists.


Meanwhile, despite those 116 points, the Warriors just could not find a rhythm.


Shots from both long and short range spun in and out. Golden State didn’t revert to its early-season ways with a rash of turnovers, but Atlanta was able to pluck a series of embarrassing backcourt steals on the team’s way toward forcing 14 Golden State miscues. Warrior forward Draymond Green demolished his season high with 20 rebounds (with six assists) on the night, but he also needed 14 shots to score 12 points and was routinely caught lunging at pump fakes defensively.


The team’s MVP candidate, guard Stephen Curry, turned in a fantastic line with 26 points on 8-19 shooting with nine assists to just one turnover, adding two steals and two blocks along the way. He also missed seven of his first eight shots, hit one three-pointer on a lucky bounce and another on an unanticipated bank shot. The production was fine, but it just wasn’t his night.


It’s that sort of nitpicking that could possibly belie just how great a contest this was. Atlanta didn’t win handily at home, but they impressed with its mettle, defensive scheming, plus the unending depth and execution on both ends. Golden State will no doubt shake its head at all the chances gone wrong – the lack of communication prior to turnovers, the great looks that spun in and out – before moving on to the team’s next game on the team’s mini-road trip.


It wasn’t a classic nail-biter, but it was a performance worthy of two teams that entered the night on pace to win 69 (Golden State) and 68 (Atlanta) wins on the season. The two will match up again in Golden State in mid-March in their final regular season pairing of 2014-15, once again away from the national television cameras and glare of the klieg lights.


That’s just fine, as us League Pass-types will cherish our little secret. All we could ask for is seven more matchups between the two squads, come June.


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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Watch Cam Atkinson score wild pinball goal for Blue Jackets (Video)

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The Columbus Blue Jackets routed the St. Louis Blues 7-1 Friday night. Twelve players recorded at least a point, including Cam Atkinson, who put home his 10th of the season after a wild sequence.


With Columbus holding a 1-0 lead late in the first period, Ryan Johansen sent the puck from the corner toward the front of Brian Elliott’s net. The puck then pinballed off Scott Hartnell, then Alex Pietrangelo’s stick, then Hartnell’s helmet, then off the top of the Blues’ net, and was finally batted out of the air by Atkinson:





Just how the Blue Jackets drew it up during their morning skate!


The wild goal was just the start of Elliott’s miserable night. He would be pulled midway through the second period after allowing four goals on 14 shots. Jake Allen wouldn't fare any better letting in the final three goals of the night in the final 31 minutes.


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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


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News sport : The 10-man rotation, starring what Phil Jackson does and does not know

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A look around the league and the Web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.


C: Deadspin and VICE Sports. An argument that Phil Jackson's acknowledgement of at-this-juncture failure in his "experiment" of bringing the triangle offense to the New York Knicks shows the Zen Master doesn't really know what he's doing, paired with an argument that it shows he knows exactly what he's doing, even if it doesn't meaningfully mitigate the failure.


PF: Bloomberg View and Waiting for Next Year. Kavitha A. Davidson writes about why the problem with Chris Paul's comments about referee Lauren Holtkamp isn't "gendered pronouns," but rather "the burden [...] placed on [...] women [in sports] to prove themselves to the men under them — to prove that they're qualified, that they belong, that they're not outsiders," and Scott Sargent on Holtkamp displayed the "ability to control situations that led her to where she is today" in a number of ways not limited to making unpopular calls on Thursday night.


SF: Grantland. A good read from Kirk Goldsberry on how Anthony Davis has expanded his offensive game to become arguably the most effective 2-point scorer in the league.


SG: Triangle Offense. A fun, GIF-y look at how Jimmy Butler has vaulted from late first-round pick to strong defender to All-Star two-way force.


PG: Sports Illustrated. Lee Jenkins on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, working to find his speaking voice and his shooting stroke, and making great headway on both accounts.


6th: 8 Points, 9 Seconds. Tim Donahue takes a really good look at Roy Hibbert's drift to the perimeter and tries to determine whether that's been a cause of the Indiana Pacers' scoring struggles or a symptom of them, and how Frank Vogel might be able to inject some life into his hamstrung and moribund offense.


7th: The Cauldron. If we all agree that the Golden State Warriors are the best in the West, then who's the second best team in the conference? Jared Dubin investigates.


8th: Bourbon Street Shots. The New Orleans Pelicans' chances of making a push for the No. 8 seed in the West would sure get a boost if Monty Williams' top three guards could start getting to the foul line, as Michael MacNamara sees it.


9th: Washington Post. Michael Lee on Patrick Ewing, a Hall of Fame player choosing the long-hours grind of being the associate head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, and continuing his 13-year pursuit of an NBA head coaching job.


10th: Pattern of Basketball. Jonathan Tjarks looks at a pair of former first-round pick who haven't gotten much of a chance to play in their first couple of NBA stops and wonders whether some enterprising team might find a "a Danny Green starter kit for 95% off" by taking a chance on them.


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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



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